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64-

United States
Department of
Agriculture

Forest Service

Intermountain
Forest and Range
Experiment Station
Ogden, UT 84401

Research Note
INT-333

Harvesting
Strategies for
Management of
Mountain Pine
Beetle Infestations
in Lodgepole Pine:

Preliminary Evaluation, East Long Creek
Demonstration Area, Shoshone National
Forest, Wyoming

Walter E. Cole,1 Donn B. Cahill,2
and Gene D. Lessard3

ABSTRACT

Diameter-limit and leave-tree cuts were tested as
ways to reduce or minimize lodgepole pine losses to
the mountain pine beetle. In the first year after treat-
ment, loss reductions were proportional to the intensity
of cut. According to the Rate of Loss Model, the
100-1 eave-tree cut was the best deterrent of recurring in-
festation, measured as amount of losses and length of
time. The 100-leave-tree cut also should provide the
best regeneration and has the added benefit of reduc-
ing dwarf mistletoe infection.

KEYWORDS: mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus

ponderosae, lodgepole pine, Pinus contor-
ta var. latifolia, harvest strategies

'Principal Entomologist, Population Dynamics of the Mountain Pine
Beetle Research Work Unit, Intermountain Forest and Range Experi-
ment Station, Ogden, Utah.

2CANUSA Entomologist, Forest Pest Management, Boise Zone Office,
Intermountain Region, USDA Forest Service, Boise, Idaho.

3Entomologist, Forest Pest Management, Rocky Mountain Region,
USDA Forest Service, Lakewood, Colo.

East Long Creek in the Shoshone National Forest is
one of a series of demonstration area projects that
used management alternatives derived from research
(Cole and Cahill 1976) and small-scale tests (Cahill
1978; McGregor and Cole, in press) in an attempt to
reduce or minimize lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var.
latifolia Engelm.) losses to the mountain pine beetle
(Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins).

The objective of this initial large-scale application of
management alternatives was to prevent undue losses
of lodgepole pine by changing or reducing the food
supply of the mountain pine beetle, and also to
manipulate the stand to grow at or near optimum site
capacity with continued prevention of large losses to
the beetle.

Some constraints on the project were to protect or
enhance key resource values, remove merchantable
material through a commercial timber sale, develop per-
manent access roads for general land use and manage-
ment, improve forest cover growing conditions through
disease control and stocking to attain timber produc-
tion potentials on regulated lands, and develop a cost-
benefit analysis for each strategy. This report is limited
to the reaction of the mountain pine beetle and tree
growth response the first year after cutting.

Future efforts to manage stands to prevent losses to
the beetle must be made before the beetle epidemic
cycle. East Long Creek Demonstration Area provided
this opportunity.

STUDY AREA

The East Long Creek Demonstration Area lies be-
tween 7,600 and 8,800 ft (2 317 and 2 683 m) elevation,
which is the lower half of the forested zone in the Wind
River Drainage. The climate is cool and dry; moisture
availability is the most limiting growth factor during the
season.

Soils are derived from sedimentary formations and
glacial moraines derived from the Wiggins formation.
The clay content of the soils and seasonal distribution
of precipitation make natural regeneration difficult on
southerly and westerly aspects and flats, especially
below 8,500 ft (2 591 m).

Cover types change with aspect and elevation; coni-
ferous trees grow only on favorable aspects below
7,600 ft (2 317 m), and seldom occur on more adverse
aspects at higher elevations.

Reestablishment of conifers following fire is extreme-
ly slow on adverse aspects. Recovery from any drastic
disturbance on this area can be expected to be slow
unless seedlings are planted as the regeneration
method. On some of the adverse aspects, the scattered
limber pine (P. flexilis James) and lodgepole pine trees
appear to be pioneers of a first generation forest.

The lower part of the coniferous cover could be
classed as Abies lasiocarpa-Arnica cordifolia habitat
type, milk vetch phase. This habitat type on the Wind
River District has almost no potential to be dominated
by Abies lasiocarpa because the development of the
climax community requires more time than is permitted
by the natural fire cycle.

Inland Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii [Mirb.]
Franco) predominates in an alternative serai community
on this habitat type where soils are basic. At this eleva-
tion, the inland Douglas-fir/mountain snowberry habitat
is present on soils derived from limestone formations.

Aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) is a short-lived
serai community replaced by limber pine or lodgepole
pine in the first generation. Retention of aspen as a
cover type requires a reduction in competition for
moisture and cutting the live aspen to break the auxin
flow so sprouting can occur.

In most of the stands in this zone, the lodgepole pine
component of the stand is 150 to 200 years old and dy-
ing out rapidly. Younger stands are still dominated by
lodgepole pine and have a manageable pole and small-
size sawtimber component. This zone of the coniferous
forest is an Abies lasiocarpa-Vaccinium scoparium
habitat type.

Regeneration following disturbance is more rapid in
this habitat and will tend to be mixed aged, with some
tolerant species seedlings and saplings present in the
first 50 years of stand development. The number of
spruce and fir trees present during early stand develop-
ment probably depends on seed source, once the
lodgepole pine component accomplishes the necessary
site modification. In some cases, competition by density
stocked lodgepole pine may reduce spruce and fir
regeneration.

Site index values for lodgepole pine are 30 to 35 ft (9.1
to 10.7 m) in 50 years in the Abies lasiocarpa-Arnica
cordifolia-m\\k vetch phase habitat, increasing to 45 to 50

ft (13.7 to 15.2 m) in 50 years in the Abies lasiocarpa-
Vaccinium scoparium habitats.

Throughout this area of the forest, basal area in
natural stands follows the site index values, with basal
areas as low as 65 ft2/acre (14 .4 m2/ha) on the lower site
index areas and increasing to 140 ft2/acre (31.1 m2/ha)on
the most productive sites. Total live conifer trees over 2
inches (5.08 cm diameter at breast height) (d.b.h.) on the
1 ,789 acres (724 ha) cruised rarely exceeded 400 per acre
(988 per ha).

The demonstration area contained approximately 1 ,898
acres (768 ha). Before harvesting, the area contained
3,777 board feet (bd.ft.) of gross green volume per acre
and 1 ,664 bd.ft. of dead standing volume per acre. Net
volumes were 3,397 bd.ft. of green volume per acre and
1,332 bd.ft. of dead volume per acre, or 4,729 bd.ft. total
net volume per acre.

STAND PRESCRIPTIONS

Three general prescriptions were applied: (1) cutting
levels based on diameters, (2) leave-tree cuts, and (3)
clearcuts. In each case, the primary purpose was to
remove the food supply from the beetle; the larger
diameter trees generally contain the thicker phloem.
However, other criteria were considered in each case.
Each prescription required retention of adequate forest
cover to promote natural regeneration, wildlife needs,
and visual qualities, and was designed to fit the condi-
tion of the stand and its ecology to promote-future
development under natural conditions.

The prescriptions and their applications were:

1. Diameter cuts.

a. Cut all lodgepole pine 7 inches (17.78 cm) d.b.h.
and larger and salvage dead trees 8 inches
(20.32 cm) d.b.h. and larger. This prescription
was applied to three different stand conditions:

(1) Late transitional stands that had converted
to the spruce-fir type. The lodgepole pine
component was decadent or dying rapidly.
In this case, adequate lodgepole pine grow-
ing stock was to be retained. Lodgepole
pine regeneration could be expected to fill
in openings created by logging.

(2) Two-aged lodgepole pine stands that con-
tained very few tolerant trees. The
understory was primarily lodgepole pine,
and the residual stand of seedlings and
saplings would be understocked. Trees less
than 7 inches (17.78 cm) d.b.h. down to the
seedling-sapling understory were not
suitable growing stock because of
disease— dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium
americanum) and comandra blister rust
(Cronartium comandrae). It was necessary
on these sites to retain the undesirable pole
timber to protect the site until natural
regeneration occurs to bring the seedling-
sapling stand up to 300 per acre (121 per
ha). Timely removal of mistletoe-infected
trees will be required.

In some cases where stocking was inade-
quate and residual trees were sparse— less
than 100 per acre (40 per ha)— planting
would be necessary. Lodgepole pine or in-
land Douglas-fir containerized stock should
be planted at 200 to 400 trees per acre (81
to 162 per ha) depending on the number and
size of residual growing stock trees.
(3) Heavily stocked lodgepole pine pole timber
stands where the age and disease condi-
tions made regeneration of the stand
desirable, and enough trees less than 7
inches (17.78 cm) d.b.h. were present to fur-
nish adequate cover to meet forest cover
objectives, including site protection. Ade-
quate natural regeneration was expected in
these stands.

b. Cut all lodgepole pine trees 10 inches (25.40 cm)
d.b.h. and larger and salvage all dead or at-
tacked trees 8 inches (20.32 cm) d.b.h. and
larger. This prescription was applied to isolated
stands in the unthinned component where
forest cover was not maintained for production
of wood products, but primarily where lodge-
pole pine was the principal component and
cover objectives required retaining forest cover
to protect other values.

Site potential was low in these stands, eco-
systems were exceptionally fragile, and values
other than timber were paramount. The prescrip-
tion was applied to stands that were sparsely
stocked and on adverse aspects. These stands
were suspected to be first-generation coni-
ferous forests, hence were fragile ecotones, and
disruption could reverse ecologic trends. Subse-
quent treatments on regulated lands will be
overstory removal in one or two steps, depend-
ing on disease conditions, regeneration suc-
cess, and visual quality needs.

c. Cut all lodgepole pine trees 12 inches (30.48 cm)
d.b.h. and larger and salvage all dead or at-
tacked trees 8 inches (20.32 cm) and larger. This
prescription was applied to stands where lodge-
pole pine was the principal component, site
potential was extremely low, stands were
sparsely stocked, aspects were adverse, and
stands contained trees exceeding this diameter
limit.

2. Leave-tree cuts.

The leave-tree prescription was applied to two
stands and required leaving 100 trees per acre (40
trees per ha), while removing the balance of the
lodgepole pine component of the stand. All
selected leave trees were the largest, most
desirable lodgepole pine, growing stock, and suffi-
cient desirable growing stock trees of other

species were retained to result in an average stock-
ing of 100 trees per acre (40 per ha) over 7 inches
(17.78 cm) d.b.h.

Because of small islands of old lodgepole pine that
escaped the fire that regenerated these two stands,
and because these stands contained mistletoe in-
fection centers, small clearcuts also were required.
Natural regeneration could be expected in 5 years
if these clearcuts did not exceed 5 acres (2 ha).
3. Clearcuts.

Six areas, averaging 14 acres (5.7 ha) each, were
clearcut. These were in fire-regenerated pole timber
stands. There were small islands of old-aged, larger
diameter lodgepole pine trees that were diseased
and decadent. Some of these islands had lodge-
pole pine and/or spruce-fir understories. Because of
the heavy fuel accumulations in the pockets of old
growth, bulldozer piling and slash burning were
desirable to meet fuel management objectives.

METHODS

A total of 37 cutting units and one check block unit
were laid out in the demonstration area:

10 units in the 7-inch (17.78-cm) cutting block
17 units in the 10-inch (25.40-cm) cutting

block

2 units in the 12-inch (30.48-cm) cutting
block

2 units in the 100-1 eave-tree cutting block
6 units in the clearcut block

1 check block unit

Harvesting began in January 1979 and was completed
in February 1981, well before the 1981 beetle flight. A
summary of the pretreatment stand structure and pro-
posed cuts is shown in table 1.

A survey of the demonstration area was made in the
spring of 1982 to determine tree loss to the mountain
pine beetle. A 20-percent survey was conducted in 22 of
the 38 units:

6 of 10 units in the 7-inch (17.78-cm) cutting
block

11 of 27 units in the 10-inch (25.40-cm) cutting
block

2 of 2 units in the 12-inch (30.48-cm) cutting
block

2 of 2 units in the 100-leave-tree block

1 check block unit
The 20-percent survey used a 1 -chain-wide strip (20 m)
every 5 chains (100 m) and recorded beetle-killed trees in
1979, 1980, and 1981, other causes of death, and
diameter.

Tree growth data were collected during the loss
surveys. Basal area and radial growth measurements
were taken at 5-chain (100 m) intervals along the cruise
strip, using a 10 BAF gage. Unfortunately, similar data
were not taken before the harvest for comparison.

Table 1.— Summary of stand data and proposed cuts for East Long Creek Demonstration Area

Treatment

Stand structure and volumes

7-inch

10-inch

12-inch

100-leave-tree

Clearcut

Acres

Total

1,132.0

581.0

60.0

39.0

86.0

Mean

113.2

34.2

30.0

19.5

14.3

Live lodgepole/acre

Total

1,633.0

3,668.0

686.0

428.0

1,475.0

Mean

163.3

215.7

343.0

214.0

245.8

< 7-inch

864.0

1 ,925.0

458.0

242.0

769.0

Mean

86.4

113.2

229.0

121.0

128.2

> 7-inch

769.0

1,743.0

228.0

186.0

706.0

Mean

76.9

102.5

114.0

93.0

117.7

> 10-inch

352.0

656.0

88.0

62.0

271.0

Mean

35.2

38.6

44.0

31.0

45.2

>12-inch

166.0

282.0

14.0

24.0

156.0

Mean

16.6

7.0

12.0

26.0

Live species/acre

Subalpine fir and other

768.0

699.0

66.0

30.0

1,006.0

Mean

76.8

41.1

33.0

15.0

167.7

Engelmann spruce

194.0

47.2

2.4

248.0

Mean

19.4

2.8

1.2

41.3

Aspen

1 ,boo.U

ooo ft

64.0

34.0

Mean

1DO.O

13.6

32.0

5.7

Proposed cut

T/A

769.0

656.0

14.0

228.0

1,475.0

Mean

/b.y

oo.b

~7 ft

IX)

1 14.0

245.8

Gross volume/acre

Live cut

4,468.0

3,518.0

3,683.0

3,205.0

4,093.0

Mean

4,468.0

3,518.0

3,683.0

3,205.0

4,093.0

Salvage cut

2,290.0

1,480.0

1 ,583.0

1,231.0

2,337.0

Mean

i oon ft

a a oft ft
1 ,4o(J.U

1 ,583.0

1,231.0

2,337.0

Gross volume (M)

Green

5,058.0

2,044.0

221.0

125.0

352.0

Mean

505.8

120.2

110.5

62.5

58.7

Dead (>8")

2,592.0

860.0

95.0

48.0

201.0

Mean

DU.D

A 7 CI
4 1 .0

33.5

Uncut per acre

Lodgepole pine (>2")

891.0

2,916.0

558.0

39.0

877.0

Mean

89.1

171.5

279.0

19.5

146.2

i oiai trees ( > <l )

O 4 ft

0,DD1 .U

CO/I ft

D^4.U

AO ft

43. U

2,132.0

Mean

Hen o

IbU.^

215.4

312.0

21 .5

355.3

Average gross volume

per acre (M)

Green

4.468

3.518

3.683

3.205

4.093

Dead

2.290

1.480

1.583

1.231

2.337

Average net volume

per acre (M)

Green

4.023

3.166

3.315

2.885

3.684

Dead

1.832

1.184

1.267

.985

1.870

Total adjusted net volume
Volume per acre
Net volume

5.855
6.628

4.350
2.528

4.582
.275

3.870
.151

5.554
.478

RESULTS

The stand structure changed proportionally to the in-
tensity of harvest cut used in each block (table 2). Stand
average diameter (d.b.h.) changes were:

Original
diameter

Treatment

Diameter
after harvest

Inches

7-inch (17.78-cm) cut

7.8

19.81

7.0

17.78

10-inch (25.40-cm) cut

7.7

19.56

7.0

17.78

12-inch (30.48-cm) cut

7.4

18.80

7.3

18.54

100-1 eave-tree cut

7.5

19.05

8.0

20.32

Considering only the kill by the mountain pine beetle,
the trend for the 3 years (2 years before the cut was com-
pleted and 1 year after completed cuts) is rather
dramatic (table 3 and fig. 1). In all cutting blocks, the
number of trees infested dropped considerably after
harvesting; the check block continued to lose trees to
the beetle at about the same rate.

It is evident that tree loss to secondary insects, such
as Ips, Pityophthorus, Pityogenes, and Pityokteines, and
comandra rust lessened after treatment (table 4). How-
ever, this apparent reduction of loss may be an artificial
effect of sampling, because the check areas also
showed no loss due to these factors in 1981 (the year
after cutting was completed).

Table 2.— Stand structure before and after cutting

Live lodgepole pine per acre by diameter class

Treatment

Before cut

Trees

After cut

Total

<7
inches

7-9
inches

10-11
inches

>12
inches

cut per
acre

Total

<7
inches

7-9
inches

10-11
inches

>12
inches

7-inch cut

163.3

86.4

41.7

18.6

16.6

76.9

86.4

10-inch cut

215.7

113.2

63.9

22.0

16.6

38.6

177.1

113.2

63.9

12-inch cut

343.0

229.0

70.0

37.0

7.0

336.0

229.0

70.0

37.0

100-leave-tree cut

214.0

121.0

62.0

19.0

12.0

114.0

' 100.0

Clearcut

245.8

128.2

72.5

19.2

26.0

245.0

Check area

251.0

2 55.0

196.0

91.0

42.0

251.0

2 55.0

196.0

91.0

'Data not available on distribution,
include only 4- to 6-inch trees.

Table 3.— Tree mortality due to the mountain pine beetle

Number of trees killed per acre

Treatment

1979

1980

1981

7-inch cut

0.72

0.51

0.09

10-inch cut

.35

.66

.07

12-inch cut

.19

5.00

1.15

100-leave-tree cut

.20

.10

o
o

Check area

2.53

5.77

4.23

Table 4.— Trees killed per acre by cutting block, year, cause, and diameter

Treat-
ment

Tear

kill
Kill

Cause

Ol
Ucd 11 1

Diameter of tree killed (inches)

TA4-I

i otai

tTGGS

I* illorl
KIII6U

Trees
Kiiieo
per acre

c
o

Q
O

1 n
1 u

11 10 1 Q 1>l
11 1 ^ 1<J 11

1 >>

I 0

1 D

> 1 7

7-inch

1 Q7Q

iy/ y

M PR'
rvl r D

o
o

4 1 1

0/1
^4

U. / ^

cut

Pity's2

.09

Total

7 4 11

.O l

i you

M DD
M rt)

o
c.

o
o

2 3 1

.0 1

Pity's

Comandra

.03

Total

O 0, 1

.60

i yes i

MP P.
MrD

1
I

0
o

.uy

1 Uldl

o
o

no
.uy

All years

6 4 3

1.51

10-inch

1979

MPB

.35

cut

Ips spp.

o
0

. lU

rliy s

O
O

<LtL

.JO

Comandra

o
c

1 Uldl

Q
O

1 J

C -1
0 1

P. A

iyou

ypD
Mr D

1 0

3 2 11

/in
4U

.00

Pity's

Comandra

.08

Total

1 1

3 <£ 1 1

.94

1 QQ 1

lyo i

unn
Mrb

•l
I

.07

i otai

.07

All years

5 2 11

112

1.78

i nun

1Q7Q

i y 1 y

M PR
IVlr D

1
1

1 o

. ly

cut

Comandra

.77

Total

1
1

.yo

iyou

ynn
Mrb

7 3

b.UU

Pity's

. i y

Comandra

.19

Total

c
0

7 O.
I O

5.38

l yo i

y DD

Mr D

1.1b

1 Uldl

i .1 b

All years

10 3

7.50

i uu-ieave

1 Q7Q

iy< y

y DD
MrD

trpp pi it

II CC UUL

/no enn

1
i

o
o

.ou

Total

.50

i you

MPR

1
i

4
1

i n
. lU

Ips spp.

.20

Total

.30

1981

MPB

.10

Total

.10

All years

.90

Check

1 Q7Q

iy< y

MPR
MrD

9 15 1

•i

2.53

area

Pity's

o
0

.21

Total

•j

c
0

Q 1 c: i

y i o i

0 7A

lyoU

MrD

H
I

4
1

1 1

1 Q in o c
IO 1U 0 b

5.77

Pity's

U /

Comandra

.07

Total

18 10 8 6

5.91

1981

MPB

11 13 6 5

4.23

Total

11 13 6 5

4.23

All years

38 24 19 12

183

12.88

'MPB = Mountain pine beetle.
2Pityophthorus, Pityogenes, and Pityokteines.

Adding the loss due to the mountain pine beetle,
secondary insects, and comandra rust to the trees cut
per acre gives the gross number of trees removed and
thus the residual trees per acre (table 5). All cutting
blocks now contain almost the same number of trees per
acre, which is about one-half the number per acre now in
the check area, although the average stand diameter is
different.

Residual basal area followed the level of cut as would
be expected (fig. 2). Using the check blocks as a base,
then 66 percent of the basal area was removed in the
7-inch (17.78-cm) blocks; 55 percent in the 10-inch
(25.40-cm) blocks; 45 percent in the 12-inch (30.48-cm)
blocks; and 63 percent in the 100-leave-tree blocks.

There was an apparent and slightly greater radial
growth, of those residual trees measured, in the 12-inch
(30.48-cm), 100-leave-tree, and check blocks as compared
to the 7-inch (17.78-cm) and 10-inch (25.40-cm) blocks
(fig. 3). This does not necessarily reflect release by cut-
ting, because only 1 to 2 years of growth occurred since
cutting was started.

Table 5. — Net effects to the stands from cutting levels and mortality factors

Trees per acre

Trees Killed by

Treatment

Before Number

Residual

cut

MPB'

Ips spp. Pity's2

Comandra

7-inch cut

163.3

76.9

1.32

0 0.15

0.03

84.90

10-inch cut

215.7

113.2

11.08

0.10 .56

.11

90.76

12-inch cut

343.0

229.0

6.34

0 .19

.96

88.66

100-leave-

tree cut

214.0

114.0

.30

.60 50

99.70

Check area

196.0

12.53

0 .28

.07

183.12

7 inch 10 inch

12 inch 100 - leave-
tree

check

CUTTING BLOCKS

Figure 2.— Residual basal area of cutting
blocks.

'MPB = Mountain pine beetle.
'Pityophthorus, Pityogenes, and Pityokteines.

0. 06 r-

0. 05

0. 04

o
en
o

I 0.03

S 0.02 -

0.01 -

^ "

100- leave- tree
10 inch

12 inch
a check area

7 inch

1972

'74

76
YEAR

'81

Figure 3.— Average radial growth of stand per year for last 10 years by cutting block.

DISCUSSION

Having seen the immediate results of the cutting
levels, the question now is of the future of these stands,
with respect to the activity of the beetle and stand
development. The harvest levels reduced the current
level of loss somewhat proportionally, but will the beetle
resume killing trees at the same ratio as before treat-
ment or has a change been induced in the course of the
infestation? To project an answer to this question, these
mortality trend data were used in the Rate of Loss Model
(Cole and McGregor, in press) to predict the rate of
future tree loss and number of years of such an infesta-
tion (fig. 4).

50 r-

check area

1980

1990

2000

2010

YEAR OF KILL

Figure 4.— Predicted trees per acre killed by mountain pine
beetle, postharvest by cutting levels.

This projection showed that the infestation within the
check area should peak in 1981 , with 46.9 trees killed per
acre (19 per ha), and subside to 1 .1 trees per acre (0.44
per ha) by 1989, tailing to 0.02 tree per acre (0.008 per ha)
by 1993. The diameter-limit cuts reduced the peak loss
rather proportionally to the extent of cutting; for exam-
ple, peak kill was greater in the 12-inch (30.48-cm) cuts
than in the 7-inch (1 7.78-cm) cuts. The expected length of
infestation changed accordingly, with the longest period
of outbreak expected for the 7-inch (17.78-cm) cut. The
exception was the 100-1 eave-tree cut. This cut extended
the predicted life of the infestation to the year 2012, with
peak tree loss of only 1 .5 trees per acre (0.61 per ha) in
the year 1993 (table 6).

Table 6.— Predicted peak loss, length of infestation, and annual
drain from the mountain pine beetle by cutting level
(trees per acre)

Treatment

Peak

Years of

Total

Annual

loss

year

infestation

loss

drain

Check area

46.9

1981

180.5

12.9

12-inch cut

22.1

1981

80.1

4.4

10-inch cut

10.3

1982

62.5

2.4

7-inch cut

12.3

1982

32.8

2.5

100-1 eave-

tree cut

1.5

1993

23.6

The 100-1 eave-tree cut, according to these predictions,
would reduce tree loss from the mountain pine beetle to
a low amount. This cut would also be advantageous in
reducing or minimizing dwarf mistletoe occurrence
(Wicker 1967; Wicker and Shaw 1967). Once the area is
reseeded and the regeneration height exceeds snow
depth, the leave trees should be removed. The small
target area of the regeneration, the washing action of the
snow in removing dwarf mistletoe seeds, and the young
stand being immune to the mountain pine beetle may
well be the keys to producing a healthy new stand of
lodgepole pine.

SUMMARY

The demonstration area on which diameter-limit and
leave-tree cuts were applied to reduce or minimize
lodgepole pine losses to the mountain pine beetle was
evaluated the first year after cutting. First-year losses
were reduced proportionally to the intensity of cut. Pro-
jected losses and continuation of the mountain pine
beetle infestation were derived from the predictive Rate
of Loss Model. The best deterrent of recurring infesta-
tion—amount of losses and length of time— was the
100-leave-tree cut. The 100-1 eave-tree cut also was the
best in encouraging regeneration and reducing dwarf
mistletoe infection.

PUBLICATIONS CITED

Cahill, Donn B. Cutting strategies as control measures
of the mountain pine beetle in lodgepole pine in Colo-
rado. In: Berryman, Alan A.; Amman, Gene D.; Stark,
Ronald W., tech. eds. Theory and practice of mountain
pine beetle management in lodgepole pine forests:
symposium proceedings; 1978 April 25-27; Pullman,
WA. Moscow, ID: University of Idaho, Forest, Wildlife
and Range Experiment Station; 1978: 188-191.

Cole, Walter E.; Cahill, Donn B. Cutting strategies can
reduce probabilities of mountain pine beetle epidemics
in lodgepole pine. J. For. 74: 294-297; 1976.

Cole, Walter E.; McGregor, Mark D. Estimating the rate
and amount of tree loss from a mountain pine beetle
infestation. In press.

McGregor, Mark D.; Cole, Walter E. Harvesting strat-
egies for management of mountain pine beetle infesta-
tions in lodgepole pine. In press.

Wicker, Ed F. Seed destiny as a klendusic factor of in-
fection and its impact upon propagation of
Arceuthobium spp. Phytopathology. 57(1 1): 1 164-1 168;
1967.

Wicker, Ed F.; Shaw, C. Gardner. Target area as a
klendusic factor in dwarf mistletoe infections.
Phytopathology. 57(11): 1161-1163; 1967.

The Intermountain Station, headquartered in Ogden, Utah, is qne ; ; ' '
of eight regional experiment stations charged with providing scren'-" """" >
tific knowledge to help resource managers meet human needs and
protect forest and range ecosystems.

The Intermountain Station includes the States of Montana;
Idaho, Utah, Nevada, and western Wyoming. About 231 rhjlJion,,^.^,.
acres, or 85 percent, of the land area in the Station territory*are ' J**, ,t
classified as forest and rangeland. These lands include gr^sjs-^ y:'**
lands, deserts, shrublands, alpine areas, and well-stocked forests.*'"1*^ "
They supply fiber for forest industries; minerals for energy and in-
dustrial development; and water for domestic and industrial con-
sumption. They also provide recreation opportunities for millioh's^"^'".
of visitors each year. *r'"

Field programs and research work units of the Station are rnain- ;v»
tained in: " .

Boise, Idaho

Bozeman, Montana (in cooperation with Montana State
University)

Logan, Utah (in cooperation with Utah State University)

Missoula, Montana (in cooperation with the University
of Montana)

Moscow, Idaho (in cooperation with the University of
Idaho)

Provo, Utah (in cooperation with Brigham Young Univer-
sity)

Reno, Nevada (in cooperation with the University of
Nevada)

ft U S GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1 983 — 676-032 1021 REGION NO 8

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